


Bilbo's Book Club

by Its_Raineing_Words



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Book Club, Books, Cute, Cute Ending, Gen, One Shot, even the ones you wouldn't expect, they're all book nerds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 23:10:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11023557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Raineing_Words/pseuds/Its_Raineing_Words
Summary: Bilbo loves books and luckily he found some kindred spirits within the Company.





	Bilbo's Book Club

**Author's Note:**

> This took me a while to write, mostly because I forgot about it due to college stress but it's done now and I hope you all like it.

It all started with Kili getting too curious for his own good and starting to read over Bilbo’s shoulder one evening. At first he’d found The Rose Garden In My Heart merely amusing but soon he’d gotten invested and genuinely wanted to find out what happened to Buttercup’s sister and whether Havenfast ever got his act together. Bilbo had let Kili borrow the book once he’d finished reading it which didn’t take that long since the novel in question was barely more than a pamphlet compared to the massive tomes he was used to reading.

Kili had shown the book to Fili and Ori had soon commandeered it once the two brothers were finished with it, desperate for new reading material. Bilbo found that he’d discovered some kindred spirits in the three youngest Dwarves as they soon approached him to see if he had any more novels.  
“Let me check, I did pack in a hurry so I’m not sure what I included.” He said, fishing through his pack, “Though if I’m honest I’ve read most of the romance books in my library so often I could recount the stories to you myself.”   
“That would certainly get some raised eyebrows at camp!” Ori laughed.  
“Not least from Uncle Thorin.” Kili added.  
Bilbo reached over to his pack and fished around before pulling a small green book with gilded leaves swirling around the cover, “Ooh! I packed Loretta Hayward! I loved this book in youth, it’s a little racy,” He said conspiratorially, “but a good read nonetheless.”  
“What’s it about?” Ori asked excitedly.   
“Loretta Hayward, obviously.” Fili snorted.   
“Hush, you. It’s about Loretta Hayward and how she has to choose between two suitors. The roguish gardener, Tomwise something-or-other and the rich Kalimac what’s-his-face. Kalimac is the rational choice, the one her parents want her to choose but Tomwise is the one she feels attracted to. The thing is, though, is that she gets on with Kalimac, just as nothing more than a friend but regardless of that she does think that they’d be happy together and her and Tomwise argue like two wasps trapped in a jar.” Bilbo explained.  
“Ooh, who does she pick?” Fili and Kili asked in unison.  
“Ah, but that would be telling,” He winked, tapping his nose, “Now...who wants to borrow it first?”   
“Definitely me!” Ori exclaimed, “There are so few romance books in Khuzdul and I’ve read all the Elven poetry and the Manish books are far too bawdy.”   
“You don’t have to tell me twice, I’ve seen many a red-cheeked Hobbit that made the mistake of picking up a Manish book from the bookshop and soon regretted it.” He laughed.   
“I’ve certainly made that mistake too in the struggle to improve my Westeron.” Ori replied.  
“Ah, likely story…” Kili giggled before getting thumped soundly by Fili.  
Bilbo tactfully ignored the two brothers and just handed Loretta Hayward to Ori who bounded away with it happily.

Ori was a prolific reader, the type to devour a book like it was a life-sustaining substance and as such had the book back to Bilbo the next day with a head full of thoughts about it to discuss. Fili and Kili read together like they almost everything else and instead of that slowing them down it worked in their favour, the fact that when one’s interest would wane the other’s would pick up was what kept their reading pace good and what saw the book returned to Bilbo two days later. He found that he liked having the three of them to discuss Hobbitish novels with, their debates on who Loretta should have married turned very heated incredibly quickly and the rest of the company gave them odd looks but left them to it. 

They soon ran out of books and Bilbo had been making up his own stories when Gandalf overheard them.  
“It’s a pleasure to see you three engaging in such imaginative activities. Books and imagination are just as worthwhile as swordcraft. I generally prefer spoken word stories to books when journeying but I do have this book with me, while it’s not Hobbitish I found it to be a riveting read,” He said, reaching into his robes and pulling a large book seemingly out of nowhere, “It’s called The Golden Fields Of Enedwaith and despite what it’s name might suggest it’s a romance. One of the oldest Elven romances that have been translated into common, in fact.”  
“Is it a bit...you know…” Fili started to say.  
“Stuffy?” Kili finished.  
Gandalf laughed, “Not in the slightest! In fact I would say that it was the beginning of romance in literature.”   
Bilbo’s eyes widened in excitement, “I must say, Gandalf-it’s certainly been many years since I’ve had the pleasure of reading a piece of classical literature for the first time.”  
“In that case it’s my pleasure to be the one to introduce you to this magnificent book, Bilbo. And the rest of you, of course.” He added jovially. 

Because the book was new to all of them they decided to try something new.  
“How about we take it in turns to read aloud? That way we can experience the book together,” Ori suggested that evening, holding the book up to illustrate his point.   
“Good idea,” Kili replied, “we may also be able to recruit some more people to our little group.”  
Fili chuckled, “That would be brilliant, I’m tired of getting odd looks off of Dwalin.”  
“I can’t exactly imagine him getting all misty eyed over Loretta Hayward.” Bilbo said.  
Fili nodded, “True but there may be a hidden side to him that no one knows about for all we know.”  
“I’d certainly like to see it!” Kili laughed, “Maybe then he wouldn’t be such a boulder during training sessions.”  
“We’ll find out I’m sure. Besides, we’ll be setting up camp soon which is prime reading opportunity.” Bilbo pointed out jovially.

Camp that evening didn’t turn out to be the reading opportunity Bilbo thought it would be since the rest of the Company took it upon themselves to be as loud and obnoxious as they could. Nori had taken to doing his own commentary over Bilbo which, while admittedly funny, put him off to the point where he gave up after a few minutes. He discovered that if one of them read out loud while they were were riding then the rest of group didn’t seem to care if they drifted to the back, though it did make Bilbo feel a bit sick to read and ride at the same time.

“The light reflected off of the golden fields as Amarië looked up at Oredwen, emotion shining in her forest green eyes. ‘Do you think we will ever return here, my love?’ She asked, voice small against the evening wind that rustled the wheat behind them, ‘Maybe someday, when our people have learnt what love means,’” Bilbo’s eyes prickled as he finally finished The Golden Fields Of Enedwaith nearly three days after they’d started it. Ori had taken out his handkerchief and had practically buried his face into it in an attempt to muffle his sobs, likewise Fili and Kili looked similarly affected and were decidedly not looking at each other as they wiped their own tears away with their sleeves. 

No one spoke for a long while, simply ruminating on their own thoughts. The silence was interrupted, however, by a loud sob and the sound of someone blowing their nose on a handkerchief.   
“What a load of old Elvish poncy bollocks,” All four of them looked up to see Dwain, puffy eyed and sniffling. 

The four of them looked at each other, hardly able to believe their eyes-Dwalin had clearly been listening in, no wonder he’d taken to sharpening his axe on the outskirts of the camp as opposed to right next to the campfire like he usually did.   
“That’s...certainly one way of putting it,” Bilbo said eventually, “What did you think about it apart from that? We were just about to start our discussion about the book and you’re more than welcome to join.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always your comments and kudos' are much appreciated.


End file.
